A method of manufacturing microfluidic contact lenses by using irreversible bonding and thermoforming

In this paper, we present the development of microfluidic contact lenses, which is based on the advantages of wearable microfluidics and can have great potential in the ophthalmology healthcare field. The development consists of two parts; the manufacturing process and the usability tests of the devices. In the manufacturing process, we firstly extended silane coupling and surface modification to irreversibly bond plastic membranes with microchannel-molded silicone rubber, to form the plastic-PDMS plane assemblies, and then molded the plane into a contact lens by thermoforming. We systematically investigated the effects of thermoforming factors, heating temperatures and the terrace die's sphere radius on channels by using the factorial experiment design. In addition, various tests were conducted to verify the usability of the devices. Through blockage and leakage tests, the devices were proved to be feasible, with no channel-blockages and could stand high pressures. Through a wearing test, the contact lenses were confirmed to be harmless on the living body. Furthermore, by performing the manipulating test, the device was proved to be liquid-controllable. These works provide a foundation for the applications of microfluidic contact lenses in ophthalmology.